meyer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

A. MEYER.

I I SIGNALYBOX. 110.355.5423, Paten tedJanA, 1887.

N. FETEIIS. Phflo-Lnhographun Walhinglcn, D. (L

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. MEYER.

SIGNAL BOX.

.No. 355,548. Patented Jan. 4, 1,887.

ilill mu III! lllll e l l t witmwm I ga we'wboz 7%QW UQVMIM/MK mflmq/ 5N. PETERS. Phululilhographer. Wznhinglon 04 Q UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

AUGUST MEYER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO J. FRANK MORRISON, OFSAME PLACE.

SIGNAL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION .mitting any one of several different signals at will forindicating the character of servicere- 'quired and also the number ofthe district or sub-station where the signal box or transmitter islocated, and, further, to provide for signaling back from the centralstation to the substations.

The invention consists, in general terms, in providing a circuit-closingdevice with two operating mechanisms, one of which may be set in any oneof several positions, and when released serves to send a correspondingnumber of impulses, while the other is constructed to transmit anarbitrary group or combination of impulses by actuating thecircuit-closing device each time the instrument is operated. The twodevices are actuated by independent springs and are dependent upon eachother to the extent that the variable signaling device is prevented fromacting until the group or station signaling device commences to operate,and the movement of the former is to ajoertain extent controlled by thatof the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the operatingmechanism, partly in section, and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same.Figs. 3 and 5 are details of the wants'ignaling device, and Fig. 4 is aside view of the apparatus.

Referring to the figures, A and A represent two handles or arms,designed, respectively, to set the variable or want signaling device andthe arbitrary station-signaling device in condition to operate. Thehandle A is pivoted upon an arbor, a, extending through the frame of theinstrument. It carries a toothed rack or segment, a, which engages theteeth of a pinion, ad. The arbor of this pinion carlies a earn, a, shownin this instance with two forming part of Letters Patent 310,355,548,dated January 4, 1887. Application filed October 20, 1886. seriainofaimo(No model.)

widened surfaces. This cam serves, when the pinion is revolved, to drivean arm or spring, a, to and fro. An arm, a rests at one end in the arm aand extends to a flexible arm, b which carries an insulated ci rcuit-closing plate, 0. The movement of the arma, occasioned by therevolution of the arbor a, will thus cause the plate a to be thrown intoand out of contact with two circuit-closing springs, c and c, bridgingacross the same. It will be seen thus that the number of times a circuitis thus completed between the two insulated arms a and a will bedependent upon the arc through which the arm A is moved. A scale, (i isprovided for determining in which one of several positions the arm Ashall be set for giving the desired signal. As the arm A is set inposition the pinion a will be revolved,

- and the cam a would actuate thespring b were it not that this springis during suchtime pressed toward the Contact-springs-c' and c, as willhereinafter appear. The turning of the cam against the springrfiwill,however, give a series of mechanical impulses to the handle, and bymeans of these it may readily be determined by the person using the boxd surrounding the arbor a, tends to return the arm to its normalposition but this movement is prevented by reason of a detent, d,carried upon an arm, (1 which arm is pivoted upon an arbor, d. A pin,(1, carried uponan arm, d extending from the arbor a, enters a slot, dformed in the arm (1 When the arm A is moved toward the right hand thepin d moves the arm (2 toward the axis of the circuitrcontrolling wheelE, which will be hereinafter described. A wheel, E, upon the same shafthas a series of curved lugs, e 6 6 e, upon its face, and the arm d ismade sufficientlyresilient to allow the detent d to ride over theselugs, which it will do by reason of the beveled face of the detent. Thisdetent,how-

ICO

, arbitrary station-signal.

cession, thus gradually nearing the periphery of the wheel andpermitting a number of revtuate the circuit-closing plate. 0 in the samemanner as is accomplished by the arm or rod 0.". The teeth ff arearranged upon the periphery of that portion of the wheel E diametricallyopposite the portion of the wheel E whichis occupied by the lugs e e e0, so that the signals occasioned by the handle A and cam a. will firstbe sent, then subsequently the A wide tooth, f, upon the wheel E standsbeneath the tooth b when the instrument is at rest, and holds the platecjagainst the springs c and 0", thus causing the circuit to becomplete.

For the purpose of actuating the wheel E, the lever or handle A isemployed. This lever is carried upon an arbor, h, from which an arm, h,extends at right angles. The arm h extends between the fingers of aforked arm, h, which turns upon an arbor, h When the crank is drawndownward, Fig. 1, the arm h is moved forward and the pawl h engages atooth of the ratchet-wheel k, which is fixed upon an arbor, h Themovement of the arbor h thus occasioned winds the spring k, one

end of which is fast to the arbor, while the other end is fastened to agear-wheel, k sleeved upon an arbor. The spring tends to drive the wheelk, and, through a suitable train, to turn the circuit-controlling wheelE in the direction indicated by the arrow.

For the purpose of preventing the device from operating until a fullmovement of the arm A has been accomplished, the retainingpawl k of thewheel It acts to move the circuit-closing point 0, the office of whichwill be presently described, against two contact arms or springs 0 and 0and at the same time to hold the plate 0, which carries the point 0, insuch position that a pin, p, projecting therefrom shall engage a block,1), upon one of the wheels B of the train. WVhen the apparatus is atrest the pin 19 engages a lug, 1), upon this wheel, this latter lugbeing located nearer the periphery of the wh eel than the lug p Upon thefirst movement of the plate 0, occasioned by the pressure of the pawl hthe pin 1) releases the lug p, but again arrests the wheel B by standingin the path of the lug 1) before the tooth f of the wheel E has passedfrom beneath the tooth b, and thus the wheel B is held until the pawl hhas fallen behind a tooth of the wheel 70. A spring, 19 thereupon tendsto return the plate 0 to its former position. This action is preventedby reason of a cam or plate, 12, carried upon the arbor of the wheel E,a section of which is cut away for allowing a pin, 11 on the plate O toapproach the arbor when the'apparatus is at rest. When, however, theplate 0 has been thrown back and the wheel B has completed its firstmovement, the edge 12 of the cam will have passed beneath the pin p andit will hold the plate 0 in its backward position until the wheel E hasnearly completed its subsequent revolution. In this manner theconnection between the points 0 and 0 will remain complete until afterthe signal has been transmitted.

The springs 0 0* are respectively connected with opposite terminals ofthe coils of an electro-magnet, B. This magnet is employed for actuatinga hammer, r, of a bell, r. The object of this bell is to render itpossible that signals shall be transmitted from the central station tothe sub-station when the apparatus is not in use for transmitting asignal, and for this reason the electro-magnet is normally in thecircuit of the main line, but when the plate 0 is placed against thesprings 0 and o in the manner described the magnet R is shunted, so thatthe impulses transmitted to line by the instrument itself do notnecessarily operate the bell.

vice and a want-signaling device, of independent actuating devices,springs for the same, and an escapement device for said wantindicatingdevice, said escapement device being controlled by thestation-indicating device.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with acircuit-closing arm, of a wheel foractuating the same, means forrevolving said wheel, a cam, means for revolving said cam when saidwheel is operated, and a mechanical connection between said cam' andsaid circuit-closing point, whereby the latter is operated independentlyof said circuitclosing wheel.

4. The combination of a circuit-controlling wheel, a spring foractuating the same, an arm for winding said spring, a restraining devicefor said wheel, a variable signal-transmitting device, a step-by-stepescapement for saidvariable signaling device controlled by said circuitcontrolling wheel, and an independent arm for setting said variablesignaling device.

5. The combination of a toothed rack, a pinion engaged by the same, acam moving with said pinion, a'lever or arm actuated by said cam, acircuit-closing point, and a mechanical connection between said pointand arm, substantially as described. 7

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of atoothed rack, a pinion engaged by the same, a cam moving with saidpinion, a lever or flexible arm actuated by said cam, a circuit-closingpoint, a mechanical connection between said point and arm, a spring, anarm, a toothed wheel engaging said arm, a

pawl engaged by said toothed wheel, a plate engaged by said pawl, atrainof wheels actu ated by said spring, normally prevented from operating bysaid plate, an escapement device for said rack controlled by one of thewheels of said train, and a second signal-transmitting device controlledby the movement of said train. e

7. The combination,'with a circuit-controll-' ing wheel, of a spring foractuating the same, a toothed wheel, pawl, and lever for winding saidspring, a retaining-pawl for said toothed wheel, and a releasing devicefor said circuitcontrolling wheel controlled by the said retaining-pawl.

8. In a variable signal-transmitter, a revolving wheel, a lever, a pawlmoved by said lever, a series of lugs upon said wheel, any one of whichmay be engaged by said pawl and thereby hold said lever in any ofseveral different positions, and means for releasing said wheel,

substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the circuit-controlling wheel of a signal-box,of curved lugs upon said wheel concentric therewith, the

successive lugs increasing in length gradually toward the periphery, alever, and a pawl actuated thereby, said pawl engaging with said lugs.

10. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of thehandle A, the rack cf, the yielding arm (1*, actuated by said handle, apawl, d, the lugs e e? e e, the wheel E,

upon which said lugs are carried,and a spring,

d, for actuating said handle.

11. The combination, with a signal-box, 0f 40 an 'electro-magnetnormally in circuit,contactsprings connected with the respective termi-AUGUST MEYER.

Witnesses:

FELIX R. SULLIVAN, O. (IPOULTNEY.

